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This easy recipe for making salsa with fresh tomatoes uses just a handful of simple ingredients. Full of flavors and textures, Homemade Salsa goes well with all your Mexican favorites. Enjoy it with tortilla chips, burritos and tacos!

Homemade Salsa
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Salsa recipe with fresh with fresh tomatoes

Growing up in the countryside, vegetables were always abundant. Especially in Summer, when my grandma’s garden would get full of goodness. We used to produce so many zucchini and fresh tomatoes that Nonna Angela would make zucchini fries and fresh tomato salsa day in and day out.

Her version of salsa is quite unique, it tastes so delicious but is very different from the Mexican dish. After all, we are Italian and my grandma cooks Italian. It wasn’t until my first travel to America that I got to try Mexican salsa.

I loved it so much that when I went back, I instantly shared my experience with Nonna. At the beginning she was quite skeptical, nothing could replace Her Traditional Recipe – she’s right, indeed. But then she finally accepted, and we both came up with our fresh made salsa recipe. Wow, it’s a real burst of flavors, slightly zesty and spicy to the point. What for a great teamwork!

What are the ingredients in salsa?

This easy homemade salsa recipe only requires a handful of simple ingredients. Most of them are fresh produce such as tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Here’s all you need:

  • Fresh tomatoes. I recommend fresh Roma tomatoes, ripe up to the point and not too soft. You can also use plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes.
  • Onion. This recipe for making salsa uses red onion, but you can also replace it with yellow onion.
  • Garlic clove. Two cloves of garlic give homemade salsa plenty of taste and flavor. It is also possible to swap it for about ½ teaspoon garlic powder, but the result won’t be as good.
  • Jalapeños. Jalapeños make the dish spicy and rich in flavor. I normally remove the seeds, you can keep them for a spicier kick. Jalapeños can be replaced with green chilies.
  • Fresh cilantro. You’ll need a heaping handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped.
  • Fresh lime juice. The best homemade salsa recipe requires the juice of half a lime, it makes the dish slightly zesty and so delicious.
  • Sugar. It is just a teaspoon, but little sugar is necessary to balance all the good flavors.
  • Salt and seasonings. The basic salsa recipe only has salt and a hint of ground cumin, but you can add extra seasonings such as chili flakes.

How to make homemade salsa?

You will love how quick and easy this recipe is. It comes together in under 5 minutes in a food processor or a blender. Here’s how:

  • Prepare the vegetables. Dice the tomatoes, chop onions and cilantro, stem, seed and chop your jalapeños.
  • Blend the ingredients. In a food processor, combine the onion with minced garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice and all the seasonings. Blend the vegetables, first without tomatoes. Add now your diced tomatoes and blend a bit more, but do not overmix. I recommend not over-blending home made salsa, or it will get too saucy.
  • Let chill. Adjust with salt and pepper to your likings, then place in an airtight food container or mason jar and refrigerate. Let it chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.
Homemade Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes

How long will homemade salsa last?

Fresh made salsa typically lasts for about 5-7 days, if you refrigerate it properly. It should be kept in an airtight food container or mason jar, otherwise it will go bad very fast. Before serving, remove from the refrigerator and give it a quick stir to restore the original texture.

Tips for the best fresh salsa

Here are a couple of tips on how to make restaurant-stlye salsa at home, using fresh tomatoes.

  • Use fresh Roma tomatoes that are nicely ripe, but not too ripe. The best are those tomatoes which are red and ripe to the touch, but not too soft.
  • Before combining with the other ingredients, core and dice your tomatoes on the side. Place them in a bowl and strain to remove any excess water.
  • Adjust the level of spiciness to match your own preferences. Seed the jalapeños if you want a milder flavor, or leave the seeds for a spicy kick. Furthermore, you can add extra seasonings such as half teaspoon of chili flakes and ground black pepper to increase the depth of flavor.
  • Blend in two steps, first the vegetables without tomatoes and then with tomatoes. The best salsa has some texture, we don’t want tomato sauce.
  • After blending and adjusting with salt to taste, place the salsa in the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. This will make the dish more flavorful and improve its textures.

Delicious ways to enjoy it

Homemade salsa tastes delicious, irresistibly delicious. We like it with air fryer tortilla chips, nachos, homemade guacamole and breakfast burritos. But it honestly goes well with any Mexican food such as quesadillas or enchiladas. Fresh tomato salsa can also be enjoyed on top of burrito bowls, or as a fresh salsa dip for parties and barbecues.

Try them with my homemade Air Fryer Tortilla Chips!

Homemade Salsa Chips Recipe
What tomatoes are best for salsa?

I recommend fresh Roma tomatoes, ripe but not too soft. If you don’t have them, you can replace with plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Also beefsteak tomatoes are okay, but they are not the best option because they are more watery.

Do I need to peel tomatoes for salsa?

No, there is no need to peel the tomatoes. Leaving the peel will not only gives your salsa more texture, it will also preserve all the nutritional benefits.

Can I make salsa with canned tomatoes?

Yes, salsa can also be made with canned tomatoes. However, I still recommend using fresh produce because it has more taste and flavors.

What’s the difference between salsa and pico de gallo?

Home made salsa has a smoother texture, while pico de Gallo is chunkier. This is because for pico de Gallo you’ll just need to chop the ingredients, not blend them as in salsa recipes.

Homemade Salsa Recipe

More recipes with fresh vegetables

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Salsa

This easy recipe for making salsa with fresh tomatoes uses just a handful of simple ingredients. Full of flavors and textures, Homemade Salsa goes well with all your Mexican favorites. Enjoy it with tortilla chips, burritos and tacos!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 4 to 5 large tomatoes, cored and diced, I recommend Roma tomatoes (about 1 ½ lb)
  • 1 small onion, chopped, I recommend red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 ½ jalapeños, seeded and roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice, about ½ lime
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • tsp chili flakes, optional, for spicer salsa
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin, more to taste
  • salt, to taste

Instructions 

  • Dice the tomatoes, chop onions and cilantro, stem, seed and chop your jalapeños.
  • In a food processor, combine onion, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, lemon juice and all seasonings. Mix the vegetables.
  • Add diced tomatoes to the food processor and blend a bit more, but do not overmix. I recommend not over-blending homemade salsa, or it will get too saucy.
  • Adjust with salt to taste, then transfer to an airtight food container or mason jar and refrigerate. Let homemade salsa chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 24.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 8.9mg | Potassium: 243.6mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 3.4g | Vitamin A: 822.5IU | Vitamin C: 15.2mg | Calcium: 14.5mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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About Matteo

Iโ€™m the certified nutrition coach and fitness chef behind this blog. My mission is to make eating healthy easy and satisfying โ€“ for anyone and for any diet! My philosophy is simple: real food, clean ingredients and plenty of protein to feel your best.

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5 from 1 vote

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2 Comments

    1. Hey dear Liza,
      oh yes, I agree! It goes so well with nachos, burritos and all the Mexican foods!! So delicious ?